


In My Arms

by innocent_until_proven_geeky



Series: Hope In Front Of Me [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Autistic Youngling OC, F/M, Gen, Multi, Non-Binary Youngling OC, Post-Order 66, baby luke and leia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:21:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24360526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/innocent_until_proven_geeky/pseuds/innocent_until_proven_geeky
Summary: Pova makes a new friend, and Obi-Wan loves it.
Relationships: Bail Organa/Breha Organa, CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi (mentioned), CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex & Original Jedi Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi & Bail Organa, Obi-Wan Kenobi & CT-7567 | Rex, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Original Jedi Character(s)
Series: Hope In Front Of Me [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1679788
Comments: 2
Kudos: 70





	In My Arms

Obi-Wan thought about returning Pova to their family.

He thought about it for thirty seconds or so before he found the first flaw in the plan, and after that the flaws just kept coming.

He didn’t know who Pova’s family was.

He could check the Archives.

The Archives had been destroyed.

Maybe the Archives hadn’t been totally destroyed, but what if the Empire knew?

If he could even find the right planet (Mirial, probably), how would he get Pova there?

Would Pova’s family even want them back?

Did Pova’s family think the Jedi were at fault?

No, it was too dangerous to return Pova to their family. He couldn’t do that now.

He couldn’t do that when the child clung to his robes.

“How are you, little one?” he murmured into the night air as the pair made their way quietly, painstakingly into the lower levels, avoiding everything and everyone.

Pova didn’t answer out loud. Obi-Wan understood, now, they liked talking about as much as physical contact. Maybe less. Instead, they tugged Obi-Wan’s robes forward. _Keep going_. _I’m okay_.

So they kept going.

It was midnight when they got to their destination, a silent, abandoned warehouse a hundred levels below CoCoTown. Obi-Wan could only assume the reason it had been suggested was Ahsoka’s forays down here during her time away from the Jedi.

Not for the first time, he felt the piercing heartache, guilty that he never did manage to protect her from the Council’s forced support of the Senate.

They ducked inside, and far from them there was a light on. A single bulb, outlining a single figure.

Obi-Wan stopped abruptly, tried to pull back at Pova. They were supposed to arrive in groups. Something must have gone wrong.

“It’s okay,” hissed a voice much closer than the single bulb. It was the voice of a thousand men Obi-Wan had known as brothers, and millions more he wished he could save.

The second figure stepped out of the darkness to their left. “I’m keeping watch right here. ‘Soka’s back there waiting.”

Obi-Wan forgets all propriety--but really, what propriety is there anymore?--and goes to hug Rex, wrapping a hand around the back of his armored neck, keeping the other protectively around the little bundle in his arm.

Pova fidgeted, peeked out from behind Obi-Wan’s robes, and whimpered.

Obi-Wan felt their fear spike, and immediately released Rex with a hurried, “ _N’eparavu takisit_.” He turned, knelt to the ground in front of Pova. “He looks like them, doesn’t he?” he whispered.

Pova nodded, not taking their eyes away from Rex’s hulking figure. Comparatively hulking; even for ten years old, Pova was small.

“Rex,” Obi-Wan said, not looking away from Pova, not holding on to their hands or arms like he once did with--him. He almost choked at the thought, but there were more pressing concerns, like the bundle settled, dozing, in his forearms, or Pova’s panic.

“Yes, sir,” Rex said.

“Will you please take off your helmet?” He still didn’t look away from Pova, who still didn’t look away from Rex. They were frozen, Obi-Wan realized.

“Yes, sir,” Rex repeated, as if Obi-Wan had ever _wanted_ to be called “sir”, as if this were an order. It wasn’t an order.

When Rex took off his helmet, it had two effects. Obi-Wan hoped it would have two effects; all Obi-Wan knew for sure was that Pova visibly relaxed. The first effect was to help Pova realize that Rex was human. For some reason that Obi-Wan didn’t yet understand, that was a particularly difficult concept for Pova to grasp. The second was to show that, if Pova had ever seen any other clones without their helmets on, Rex was _different_. He hated to use, to abuse, Rex’s “defect” in this way. He had no right, especially after all that had happened in the last two weeks.

Rex rested his empty hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder, a silent acceptance of an unspoken apology. Rex would have taken only a moment longer to come to the same conclusion, Obi-Wan thought--but that didn’t make it feel any better. He couldn’t _use_ Rex like that. Rex should have--

The gloved hand squeezed his shoulder. “ _Gev jaon mirdir_ ,” Rex said, just loud enough to ground Obi-Wan. “I thought the same thing.”

Pova’s eyes flicked away from Rex once, then again, before they settled on Obi-Wan. They shifted a little where they stood, and one hand came up to sign two letters: osk, krill. _I’m okay_.

Obi-Wan nodded, stood without shrugging Rex off, moved his bundle a little, and reached for Pova’s hand. “Let’s go meet Ahsoka,” he said, soft and gentle and not nearly as afraid as he felt. But then, he hadn’t stopped feeling afraid in Force only knew how long.

Rex squeezed Obi-Wan’s shoulder one more time. “I’ll keep watch.”

“You always do.”

Ahsoka positively beamed at them when they got to her, looking from Obi-Wan to Pova to the bundle in Obi-Wan’s hand. “Bail said there were two.” She looked back up into Obi-Wan’s eyes, and he didn’t miss the way her arm stretched a little to her side for Pova to join her if they wanted. “I miss _them_ , though.”

Obi-Wan’s nose burned just a little, and he breathed sharply to keep the pricking from traveling to his eyes. “I know,” he replied. “Me too.” He stepped a little closer and offered her the bundle, since Pova hadn’t released his hand. “This is Luke.”

“Are you keeping him?”

“That’s what we’re here to discuss.” He gave her a little, sad smile, one that felt remarkably similar to something Cody used to make fun of him for.

The burning tickled his nose again.

“Then let us discuss.”

Bail Organa did not have a loud, booming voice, but he had a tone and a persona that could control a room, in that gentle way some had. He did not sweep into a room; he walked in, head held high, eyes with pride, and, if he could make it happen, with Breha behind him.

Today she was behind him, holding a bundle similar to Obi-Wan’s.

“You said Master Yoda has already left,” Bail began, turning to Obi-Wan.

“He has.” Obi-Wan nodded.

He didn’t fail to notice Pova releasing his hand and scampering away, but he figured Rex would catch them before they got too far.

“I cannot tell you where he is, of course,” Obi-Wan continued, and his hands felt empty now, not carrying his bundle or keeping Pova out of trouble. “But he is grateful for your help and your willingness to keep Leia.”

Breha smiled, and it was spectacular even with dingy lighting and sad eyes. The love of a mother, Obi-Wan considered.

“So we need to find a place for Luke,” Ahsoka said.

It was silent for several tense seconds.

“He still has family on Tatooine,” Obi-Wan finally offered, though it pained him not to keep Luke.

Something clattered in the background, near the entrance, but Obi-Wan could feel Pova and they weren’t afraid--at least, no more than normal--nor had they gone far.

“I thought Anakin’s mother died,” Bail said, and it was respectful, and it ached with compassion for someone he had never met.

Bail was a good choice for Leia.

“His mother married a man a few months before that,” Obi-Wan explained. “He would be Anakin’s stepfather. If I remember correctly, he also had a son close to Anakin’s age. They did not know Anakin well, but they loved Shmi dearly. They might be grateful to have a reminder of her.”

“What about Naboo?” Ahsoka offered.

Little steps pitter-pattered back to the circle, in between Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. Louder footfalls, booted in plastoid, followed behind. Obi-Wan turned his full attention back to Pova for a moment.

Behind his child (and how did they become his child so soon?), Rex held a crate almost as big as Pova was tall. His helmet wobbled on top of it. He placed it right where Pova pointed, tucked his helmet under his arm, and then--and Obi-Wan stifled a gasp, and a smile--he picked Pova up and plopped them on top of the crate, so the little one was about the same height as everyone else.

Pova pointed to the spot between them and Ahsoka and glared, pointedly, at Rex.

“Alright, _jet’ika_ , alright.” Rex gave Obi-Wan a long-suffering look, the kind Cody used to share with him after Rex did something to merit it, and instead of aching, piercing that same wound again, the thought made him bubble.

He laughed.

Something about Obi-Wan’s laughter lightened everything; he could even feel the brightness of the twins expanding, filling the room. Pova reached one hand out to Obi-Wan, the other to Rex.

They still had much to discuss, but no, whatever else happened, Obi-Wan would not let the little Mirialan go.


End file.
